The OEM has filed a European patent application that would cover refilling methods and a refilling device.
An image from Epson’s patent application
Epson’s patent application, EP 2 703 166 A2, holds a potentially high relevance for the remanufacturing and refilling industries, as it details a method of manufacturing a cartridge, a filling kit, and a filling device. The patent features a flow chart and diagram, with the chart covering the ink injection method from start to finish, with one section of the document referring to the ink filling flow in terms of when it can be filled:
“[T]he ink filling flow can be carried out, for example, when the cartridge is refilled with ink after ink contained in the cartridge is consumed and there is no more ink. The ink filling flow can also be carried out, for example, when the cartridge is filled with ink during initial manufacturing of the cartridge.”
If the patent was granted, there could be implications for remanufacturers and refillers in relation to the patent, as it covers the cartridge, the filling kit and device as well as the method of refilling. The OEM has previously filed patents in Europe in March and February this year concerning refilling cartridges.